Dan Skelton admits he can see ‘no negatives’ surrounding the chances of Deafening Silence in the William Hill Half A Mill Grand National Trial Handicap Chase at Haydock Park on Saturday.
The lightly raced nine-year-old will bid to open his account for the campaign at the third time of asking in the £100,000 feature prize, which 12 horses remain in contention for following Monday’s confirmation stage.
After filling the runner-up spot in the BetMGM Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle on his return, the gelded son of Alkaadhem then put up another respectable effort in defeat when finishing third in the Coral Welsh Grand National at Chepstow on December 27.
And it is on the back of his latest effort at the Welsh venue that Skelton believes the Grade Two-winning hurdler can scoop his biggest pot over fences in the extended three and a half mile test.
Skelton said: “I’ve had this race in mind for some time after the Welsh Grand National as he is obviously liking those marathon trips.
“I think he is in really good form and the track will suit him. How the race cuts up we don’t quite know, but I’m very happy with our horse going into it.
“I feel like he has proven that he stays that distance and his training has been good.
“I think he is pretty versatile ground wise now he is that bit older. I don’t think it holds any fears for him. I don't have no negatives about his chances."
Although Deafening Silence has only had 10 ten starts under Rules, Skelton feels that the timing of this race fits in perfectly from his last run.
He added: “It was a great run in the Welsh Grand National and I was very proud. It would have been nice to have been a couple of places further up, but those marathon distances you have got to be respectful when they are there at the end as it is a big effort for them.
“He is lightly raced for his age, and we can’t race him too much, but the programme for these long distance chases does suit this horse as you can give him a month to six weeks in between them.
“It feels like this is a nice straightforward situation for him. He is definitely still well treated over this trip as not many of them get it.”
The Premier Handicap is also the final race in the ‘William Hill Half A Mill’ initiative which offers a £500,000 bonus to any horse that can win one of the selected trial races and the Randox Grand National in the same season.
Deafening Silence is currently a 33/1 chance to win the world’s most famous steeplechase at Aintree, which has attracted 78 entries, on April 11 with William Hill.
However, although he needs plenty of horses above him in the entry list to drop out to make the final field of 34, Skelton admits he would be keen to roll the dice if he did get in.
He added: “We have entered him in the Grand National because he is a stayer and if he got in it would be an interesting entry.
“He has got a lot of horses to come out to get into the Grand National so I would say at the moment that is looking unlikely because of his handicap mark, but you have got to be in it if you want to run in it.
“I would say if he got into the Grand National, he would run in it and I feel he would take to the fences.
“He probably needs to win this quite handsomely to go up enough to get in the race.
"I think the Grand National is a massive step away at the moment, but Saturday could bring it closer.”
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